Various types of game machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines are provided with game machine input device with an input unit that blinks or provides other presentation effects to invoke a sense of anticipation for the game in the player.
This game machine input device may be a button device equipped with a button unit that serves as the input unit, or a lever input device provided with a lever unit. One existing method of presenting an effect involves illuminating the input unit, or providing the input unit with a display screen whereon an image is displayed.
For instance, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-045338 describes a button device where the button unit is equipped with a projection unit and a liquid crystal display device in addition to providing a screen surface on the button unit to act as a display surface. The projection unit radiates light so that an image shown on the liquid crystal display device is shown on the screen surface.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2009-131509 discloses a lever input device capable of illuminating a spherical input element provided at the tip end of the lever unit. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-104175 discloses a lever input device provided with a plurality of light emitting units surrounding the lever unit to illuminate around a lever input unit.